The Girlfriend Experience to Make World Premiere at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival

The Girlfriend Experience to Make World Premiere at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival

Steven Soderbergh’s first project for Starz, the Anthology series “The Girlfriend Experience,” which was written and directed by filmmakers Lodge Kerrigan and Amy Seimetz, will make its World Premiere in the Special Events category at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival. The Sundance Film Festival takes place January 21-31 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah. The Festival is one of the world’s premiere places to debut new independent films and over the course of its more than 30-year history has launched films including Whiplash, Boyhood, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Fruitvale Station, Little Miss Sunshine, Reservoir Dogs, Napoleon Dynamite and Soderbergh’s earlier sex, lies, and videotape.

“The Girlfriend Experience” follows Christine Reade, a second year student at Chicago-Burnham Law School and a new intern at the prestigious firm of Kirkland & Allen. Working hard to establish herself at the firm, her focus quickly shifts when a classmate introduces her to the world of transactional relationships. Known as GFEs, they are women who provide “The Girlfriend Experience”—emotional and sexual relationships at a very high price. Juggling two very different lives, Christine quickly finds herself drawn into the GFE world, attracted to the rush of control and intimacy.

Lodge Kerrigan and Amy Seimetz are the co-creators, and wrote and directed all 13 episodes. It also stars Mary Lynn Rajskub, Paul Sparks and Kate Lyn Sheil, and will premiere in 2016.

Starz CEO Chris Albrecht says, "Sundance is the ideal venue to premiere this innovative television event. With this reimagining of Steven Soderbergh’s film 'The Girlfriend Experience,’ Steven, Lodge and Amy have reinvented auteur-driven story telling on television, from the director-driven approach to the entire production to the use of natural light for all filming, which took place without using any studio space. It has an intimate feel that is far more like an independent film than a television series, and we are excited to be introducing it to the Sundance audience first.” Albrecht adds, “This project also highlights Riley Keough as the exceptional, break-out talent she truly is. She is a revelation, in every sense of the word."

Lodge Kerrigan wrote and directed the features Rebecca H. (Return to the Dogs), Keane, Claire Dolan and Clean, Shaven. His directorial credits also include episodes of “The Killing” (AMC / Netflix), “The Americans” (FX), “Bates Motel” (A&E) and “Homeland” (Showtime). Amy Seimetz is a writer, director and award-winning actress who was named by Variety as one of their 'Actors to Watch,' and was the first person to ever receive two Gotham awards for two different films in the categories of Breakthrough Director (Sun Don't Shine) and Best Actress (Upstream Color).

Steven Soderbergh has produced or executive-produced a wide range of projects, most recently Gregory Jacobs' Magic Mike XXL, as well as his own series "The Knick" on Cinemax, and the current Amazon Studios series "Red Oaks."